B.S. in Wellness & Alternative Medicine

Distance-Learning Program

Johnson State College is among the nation’s first regionally accredited colleges to offer a science-based undergraduate degree program in wellness and alternative medicine (WAM). This program is a great fit if you’re interested in science and want to:

Explore bold new horizons in health care.

Examine the mind-body connection and its role in personal wellness and well-being.

Understand the role wellness plays in the development of sustainable communities.

Learn the science, theories and histories of Western (i.e., allopathic) and alternative and complementary health care therapies, including acupuncture, naturopathy, Ayurveda, chiropractic, homeopathy and Native American healing.

Students in this program explore the social, cultural, political and psychological dimensions of various systems of health care. It is a rigorous, science-based undergraduate program that emphasizes holistic models for health, wellness and healing. Based on the scientific protocols set by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine and Bastyr University’s Naturopathic Medical School program in Seattle, Washington, it provides the scientific knowledge and practical skills needed to make informed healthcare decisions and lifestyle choices and to prepare for careers as state-of-the-art healthcare professionals, veterinarians and doctors.

Students study conventional, allopathic medicine in the U.S. as well as alternative medical models from around the world. While completing their degrees, students may elect to co-enroll in certification programs to become massage therapists, yoga instructors, reiki masters and Ayurvedic consultants. Graduates are prepared for medical- and health-related graduate programs and careers in holistic health care, Naturopathic medicine, mind-body therapies, and other healing occupations.

A revised curriculum reflecting advances in medical knowledge and contemporary practice took effect in fall 2015. The new curriculum incorporates suggestions by two experts who reviewed the JSC curriculum in 2012 and 2004, respectively: Dr. James S. Gordon, director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine Program at Georgetown University, former chair of the White House Commission on Complementary & Alternative Medicine and a member of the Advisory Council for the NIH National Center for Complimentary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM); and Dr. Joseph Jacobs, former director of NCCAM.

Coming in July 2018: Northern Vermont University Online

On July 1, 2018, Johnson State College and Lyndon State College will become Northern Vermont University, a single university with two campuses and an online degree division. Students entering the online program during spring 2018 will be admitted to Johnson State College Online. When Northern Vermont University officially launches in summer 2018, JSC Online students will become NVU Online students and earn their degree from Northern Vermont University.